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  • The Meaning Behind Canister X

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The Meaning Behind Canister X

    Canister X

    “Canister X” is an unusual name for a blog. There’s a story behind why that name was chosen. It’s not a terribly exciting story, but perhaps one that’s slightly amusing.

    As is required of authors, a website is needed. Most writers use their name as their domain name. I did that, too, once upon a time. But one year–I can’t remember which–I forgot to renew the apfuchs.com domain and then I lost it. I tried to re-register it only to find out someone had snatched it up. The site was in German. I had no idea who this person was and didn’t know how to go about reaching them to see if I could have my domain back, so I had to come up with something else. If memory serves me correctly, I decided to rename the site with something unique. I can’t remember the options I went through but “Canister X” came to mind and I assigned meaning to that name. The “Canister” part is after Ninja Turtles, you know, the container that had the mutagen in it. The “X” part was about the site being about anything and not locking me into a particular idea or theme, and as you can see from the content on this site, it’s fairly varied. Sort of a “you never know what you’re gonna get.”

    Later, “Canister X” also became part of the title of my minicomics: Canister X Comix.

    I hope to one day get my A.P. Fuchs domain back and then use it to point to here or vice versa, but until then, Canister X is the name of this thing so we’re running with it.

    This is your blog history lesson for the day.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging Canister X Web Stuff Writing 📎and tagged

  • A.P. Fuchs Now on Tumblr

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    blogtumblrlogoWe’re now up and running on Tumblr.

    Go here to see the page.

    How will the Tumblr blog vary from this one? The short answer is it will have a combination of some content from here and some from Instagram, and possibly some Tumblr-exclusive items. I’ll be experimenting because Tumblr is a new platform for me.

    If you’re already on Tumblr, please stop by and show the page some love.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging General Announcements Promo Items 📎and tagged

  • Special Post for my Blog Subscribers

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    There’s quite a few of you who have subscribed to this blog over the years and elected to receive my posts via email. Thank you.

    I wanted to let you know that if you want another email experience from me, I have a weekly newsletter called The Canister X Transmission, which is presently in its third year. Issue 120 goes out this Saturday.

    It’s free, and you also get a free novelette upon sign-up.

    The Year Three format of The Canister X Transmission is simple:

    1) Weekly creative recap of what I worked on the previous week
    2) A flash fiction story
    3) Weekly rant
    4) Anything–where any topic or item(s) is brought up.

    Straight forward. Simple.

    Hope you join me.

    You can sign up for the newsletter at http://www.tinyletter.com/apfuchs

    See you Saturday.


    📂This entry was posted in Blogging Canister X Newsletter 📎and tagged

  • Switching to Broadcast Mode

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    For the next week, I’ll be off all social media outlets as I’ve got some deadlines to attend to. At most, I’ll be using my social media channels as a means to broadcast various bits from this blog or other book-related items. In terms of direct communication with me, please use my email or, if you’re in my inner circle, the studio phone number.

    If you do try and contact me via social media, please note these will go unanswered. If I stumble across the communication upon my return to the channels next week, I’ll get back to you. If not, please hang up and try again.

    Part of being a writer. There are times to disconnect and get some work done.

    Have a good week.


    📂This entry was posted in Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Laying Low

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    This site has been fairly quiet as of late. Part of it has to do with a change in personal schedule, the other part being I don’t have much to report on a platform like this blog right now. Lately, my on-line efforts/time has been spent on Twitter and in my weekly newsletter. Like my last post said, I’m having a great time writing a newsletter and am really enjoying its potential for communication with readers. It’s my current method of bringing my thoughts to the virtual page and sharing it with you guys. I suggest signing up for it–it’s free–as a means to a) keep in touch with me more regularly and, b) to receive information on things pertaining to the writing life, publishing stuff, life stuff and other stuff.

    Been also juggling multiple projects so am in kind of a working season where not much is going on publicly but with stuff happening beneath the surface. It’s been awhile since I’ve had so many irons in the fire, but as it is with these things, it takes time to complete each one. So, yeah, in work mode, in figuring-stuff-out mode, and am just plugging along.

    Been thinking about my publishing schedule for this year and how it might need to be changed to accommodate some other life changes that are happening. We’ll see how it all pans out, but, of course, I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, I’m going to be laying low for a while as I get things done because in the end it’s getting the work done that matters. However, I’ll still be active on Twitter and, as I’ve been pushing, in my newsletter.

    Like they say, watch this space.


    📂This entry was posted in Stuff Writing 📎and tagged

  • Getting it Done and Writer Word Count Meters

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    I did a panel on Time Management at the Central Canada Lit Fest a few weekends ago. While I went over several points and gave suggestions on budgeting one’s time for writing, my main message was simply this: get it done.

    That’s it, and that’s the real secret to a writer’s management of their time. It all comes down to actually writing versus humming and hawing about when to do it or how. Just sit down whenever possible, write, and go until the clock runs out or your story is done.

    It really is that simple.

    So in keeping with that spirit, I’ve set up word count meters on the side of this blog, the aim being to let you follow along as I write each project. Word counts listed are approximate and are not updated in real time. Likewise, final word counts are estimates. I’ll adjust the meters accordingly if it turns out something will be longer or shorter than predicted. I’ll also try to update my progress whenever possible.

    You might also notice the listing of three Secret Projects. They pertain to yesterday’s clue about how I want to present this website. That’s all I’m saying for now and I’ll let you speculate on what they could be. I started one of those Secret Projects today.

    In other news, I’m still rereading The Axiom-man Saga so it’ll be a while yet before I start writing the new installments. Need something else to keep my hands busy in the mean time hence the new projects.

    So it’s just me, the keyboard, some ideas . . . and getting it done.


    📂This entry was posted in Writing 📎and tagged

  • Decision Made – Next Series of Projects

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    The thing with writing is that, at times, certain ideas speak to you louder than others, and over the past few days one idea–make that four interconnected ideas–have been pretty loud and clear in their intention–dare I say need–to be written.

    So that’s what’s happening next.

    I’ve made my choice in terms of what the next series of projects will be. I use the word “series” on purpose and as a hint as to what I’m going to start writing soon. As a second hint, the ideas have been brewing for quite some time, but the other day I finally got this realization as to how I’m going to present them. It’s one idea, four parts: a prequel and a trilogy.

    Also have a marketing plan formulating for them once all is said and done, but part of it might entail doing not only title reveals on this blog but those word counter things I’ve seen where you can check in here and monitor my progress via a progression bar. The only downside to those bars is, so far as I know, they need a predetermined word count to be entered. This is information I don’t have. I can ballpark it, but I have no idea on the outset the exact length of any book I write.

    So we’ll see.

    In the meantime, I’ve finished my rough draft of the five panels I’ll be doing this weekend at Lit Fest. Will give it a quick once-over and fill in any gaps, then will review it once I’m actually at Lit Fest and ink in any changes/additions before speaking.

    If you are or will be in Winnipeg, details for the Central Canada Lit Fest can be found at their website here.


    📂This entry was posted in Stuff Writing 📎and tagged

  • Ducks – This Writer’s Just Figuring Things Out

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    It’s been a crazy time lately in terms of my career. I’ve walked away, I’ve come back. I’ve made changes to the type of stuff I’ll write and publish, made new goals, have new plans, reaffirmed old ones–so much going on.

    Ducks in a row, as they say.

    So that’s what’s going on right now: getting those ducks aligned. I have a meeting tomorrow night that’ll change how I do things from here on out. Will make my life incredibly easier and will enable me to operate in a way I haven’t in years. Looking forward to it.

    Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been too transparent with my career, a little too personal. Sometimes I think I’ve done all right in sharing who I am, the good and the bad all in an effort to be real. Other times I wonder if I should “just be the professional” and close off the personal. A balance is key and I’m still trying to find it.

    I want to get into blogging again as I thoroughly enjoy it. I also like the schedule idea and was on the phone with my wife today talking about her blog. Got me all jazzed up about this one in the process. I know things look different here than what they were. The reason is I wanted to strip away most of what went on before in terms of style yet keep the layout as a reminder of who I was. What you see here isn’t permanent. Just a “holding place” for the time being.

    I was serious when I talked about “simply working.” Finally getting to a place where I can do just that. One day I’ll tell you more about what went on and why things suddenly changed for me. It’ll all make sense when I do.

    In professional news, as said, I’m getting my ducks in a row. I’m also back to being a guest at the Central Canada Lit Fest on March 29 and 30. I’ll be speaking on the following panels: Self-publishing Basics; Self-publishing Advanced; Music, Coffee and Other Things Writers Can’t Live Without; Including Art in Your Novels. Then on April 13th I’ll be at the Winnipeg Comic & Toy Expo. Be great to see you at these events.

    In personal news, been reading a couple graphic novels, playing DC Universe On-line, and making homemade pizza.

    Hope everyone’s doing all right. Reminder, you can hook up with me on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest by following the links on the right.

    Thanks.


    📂This entry was posted in Stuff 📎and tagged

  • Simply: I’m Back

    Posted on by A.P. Fuchs

    Last week I began reinstating some of my titles, starting what could be considered my fifth era in this business, my Mark 5, so to speak.

    Those in the know would tell you the reason for my retiring was a valid one, but upon reflection, prayer and consulting with others, I’ve stepped back into the world of writing and publishing.

    However, this time, things will be different. As said, this is my fifth era in terms of how I do things, and it’s going to be a much simpler one. One of the problems with the last method was its complexity. Most of it was complicated by its nature, and the rest was made complicated by me, but since publishing is always about learning, I discovered how I did things before brought on its share of headaches and issues. Not the publishing part, but the administrative side.

    The main thing that will underline what I plan on doing going forward is to keep things as simple as possible in as many ways as possible. Going back to basics here, and since 2014 already marked a change in my career in terms of stepping down as publisher, it’ll also be a year in which I fly below the radar in a lot of ways. I plan on just keeping my head down and working, only surfacing from time to time to check in, see what’s what, then step away again.

    One of the main points of my retirement notice was my plan to go into full time Christian ministry. That’s still the plan in that I want my writing work to glorify God and not use it to glorify myself. I might miss the mark now and then, but Jesus is the center of my life so while I’ve made mistakes and had my ups and downs, I want my career to reflect my love for Him.

    There are still some Mark 4 items that I’m wrapping up, but after the end of April at the [hopefully] latest, it’ll be Mark 5 all the way.

    For my titles, I’ve brought a good portion of them back–books and comics–but my monster and horror stuff is gone. Those made up about half my catalog, but I’m okay with letting them go. What does light have to do with darkness, right? As for anything else I might bring back, we’ll see.

    I learned a lesson recently in that I was invited to submit a horror story to an anthology in 2013, the story due end of January/early February of this year. I had a very, very hard time writing it. It was around 13,000 words or so on the third draft, if memory serves, but it was a difficult write and I mentioned to my wife as I wrote it that I just wasn’t into that stuff anymore. That story won’t be published and I pulled out of the anthology when I posted my retirement notice. My heart’s changed and horror and monsters are no longer my thing. A pastor I spoke to recently said it best when he said I was a dispenser of fear.

    It’s true.

    I was.

    I don’t want to be that anymore.

    I have plans for what books I’ll write this year and I really hope to do some comic stuff, too, as I love them so much.

    This blog will be updated now and then, but with what, I’m not sure. I might go back to a schedule, I might not. I really like this idea of simply working.

    Simply.


    📂This entry was posted in Stuff 📎and tagged